Commissioners approve county manager's salary increase

Eddy County Commissioners voted 4 to 1 to increase County Manager Rick Rudometkin's annual salary in a closed session Tuesday.

Rudometkin was given a 2.5 percent raise, increasing his salary from $176,300 to $180,700.

Commission Chairwoman Stella Davis said Rudometkin, who became county manager in October 2013, had not received a salary increase since 2014.

The increase will come from the commissioner's contingency fund.

“I really appreciate the BOCC (Board of County Commissioners) and the increase they gave me," Rudometkin said in an emailed statement. “(I am) looking forward to helping the BOCC move our county forward into the future."

County commissioner Jon Henry declined to give a reason for voting against the raise citing the issue as a personnel matter.

Since he was hired, Rudometkin has received about $60,000 in pay increases.

When Rudometkin was first hired he was given an annual salary of $120,000. An annual review of his performance is part of his employment contract with the county.

A cost of living adjustment and a salary comparison resulted in a salary increase — $130,961 — in January 2014.

In November 2014, Rudometkin's salary was again increased by about $42,000 — with approval from county commissioners — to $172,000, according to county officials.

County commissioners were accused of violating the Open Meetings Act when they approved the 2014 raise. There have been no other determinations regarding the actions of the Eddy County Commissioners in relation to the Open Meetings Act since then.

In January 2016, all county employees received a 2.5 percent cost of living adjustment, according to county officials, increasing Rudometkin's salary to $176,300.

"He worked hard for that," Davis said.

Davis was not on the commission at the time of the 2014 allegation.

County managers are hired by county commissioners.

Rudometkin is not the highest paid county manager in New Mexico. He ranks slightly behind Lea County Manager Mike Gallagher, who is paid a $196,267 yearly salary.

According to Lea County officials, Gallagher has been county manager since 2010 and received a recent pay raise in June 2017.

The Current-Argus obtained 11 other county manager salary reports.

County managers in Bernalillo, Chaves, Santa Fe, Dona Aña and San Juan County receive an annual salary between $140,000 and $180,000.